Steam-generator.



No. 734,871. PATENTED JULY 58,1903.

0. M. HOPWOOD & J. MURDOGK, JR.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION PI'LEVD AUG. 26, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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. UNIT D STATES Patented July as, .1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE M. HOPWOOD AND JOHN G. MURDOCK, JR., OF CINCINNATI, I

OHIO.

STEAM -G E N ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,871, dated July 28,1903.

Application filed August 26, 1902;

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLARENCE M. HOP- woon and Joan G. MURDOCK,Jr.,citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the countyof Hamilton and State of Ohio, have jointly invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Steam-Generators, of-which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to steam-generators, and has for its object theproviding of means whereby steam may be quickly and economicallygenerated and converted into a dry or superheated state; and theinvention will be readily understood from the following description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a central vertical section of thefire box or chamber and fire-pot,also showing the pipes leading to and from the fire-pot. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal cross-section of the firepot, taken on the line .2 z ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of our improved device; Fig. 4, across-section of the steam drum or receiver, taken on the line w of Fig.3.

l is a fire-chamber in which a pot 2 is adapted to be suitably suspendedor held in position, as by means of hangers 3, suspended from across-girth 4, resting on the walls 5 of the fire-chamber. A bed of fuel6 is under the pot, with the lower end of the pot preferably close tothe fuel orembeddedin it. The fuel is preferably subjected to a forceddraft, as from a duct 7, for creating great heat at the bottom of thepot and heating the bottom of the pot to a high temperature. The bottomof the pot may be heated to a red-glow heat or above. The pot ispreferably of caststeel, with its bottom and walls near the bottom ofgreater thickness than the top for insuring greater safety at the pointof application of greatest heat.

A feed-water pipe 9 is provided through which the feed-water for thesteam-generator is adapted to be fed under pressure, as by means of anordinary feed-Water pump. (Not shown, because well known.) Thefeed-water is fed, preferably, in a heated state as near theboiling-point as possible. The feed-water pipe 9 connects with a coil 10in the firechamber and outside the pot, the coil prefer- Serial No.121,05 2. (N0 model.)

ably taking about the pot a number of times and being spiral in form, soas to have as much of its surface as possible subjected to the heat inthe fire-chamber. The pot 2 is provided with a cap 11, suitably securedto it, as by being screwed thereon. In the form shown the end of thecoil 10 screws into a flange-piece 12, suitably bolted to the cap.''

A pipe 14 is screwedinto the bottom of the cap and takes into theinterior of the pot and has a baffle-plate 15 at its lower end. Thebaffle-plate is preferably in the form of an inverted cone, forming achamber 16 thereunder. The feed-water pipe 9, the coil 10, and pipe 14form a feeding-pipe for the interior of the pot and are shown in theform illustrated as convenient means for conducting the feed-water intothe interior of the pot. While the water passes through the coil-14 itis subjected to the heat of the heated zone "above the fire, absorbingheat in its passage, and when it discharges into the interior of the potit is of a high temperature and substantially in the form of saturatedsteam. As soon as it leaves the bottom of the pipe 14 it spreads intothe highly-heated zone 16, under the'bafiie-plate and above the bottomof the pot, the heavier particles striking the bottom of the pot andrecoiling against the bafile-plate 0r flashed into steam. The wa ter isthus converted into steam of high temperature in the form of dry andsuperheated steam. This dry or superheated steam passes upwardly betweenthe baffle-plate and the walls of the pot and passes through anoutlet-pipe 17 into a receiver or steam-dru m 18. The baffle-platepreferably has toes 19, adapted to take against the interior walls ofthe pot, assuring passage 20 between the edge of the batfie-plate andthe interior walls of the pot.

A series of fire chambers and pots may be employed for feeding onesteam-drum. The connecting-pipe 17 between the fire-pot and receiver maybe provided With a back-check valve 21 to prevent back passage of steamfrom the receiver and with a hand-valve 22. A return-pipe 23 from thesteam-drum to the pot may also be provided for returning condensationfrom the steam-drum to the pot and for eircelation. This return-pipetaps into the bottom of the steam-drum, as at 24, and is suitably letinto the pot, as by being screwed into the cap, as at 25, a continuation23" passing into the pot to a point preferably just above thebaffle-plate into a zone of comparative quiet in the pot. A valve 27isprovided for the return-pipe.

The direction of circulation of heat in the fire-chamber is indicated byarrows a outside the fire-pot, and the direction of circulation of hotwater and steam through the pipes and pot is indicated by arrows b.

It will be {noted that the return-pipe discharging condensation abovethe baffle-plate will cause condensation to be absorbed by thehighly-heated or superheated steam justissuing from the bottom of thepot, the heavier particles of the condensation being permitted to passover the edge of the baffle-plate into the highly-heated zonethereunder. It is viousalso that the return-pipe may be connected withthe feed water pipe or pass through the baffle-plate, so that thecondensation may be discharged directly into the heated chamber 16 belowthe baffle-plate.

By means of our improved device steam is generated to'a very hightemperature or superheated very quickly with minimum amount of fuel,because the feed-water is highly heated during its passage through thecoil in the fire-chamber and may be discharged into the potiu the formof saturated steam at the bottom of the pot, which bottom of the pot ishighly heated by a blast of tire applied to its bottom, therebylocalizing the direct application of heat and permitting a comrgarative'small fire to be employed, the fire being in the nature of ablast-furnace, such as is used by blaeksmiths. The consumption of fuelis minimized, owing to the amount of air supplied to the fuel duringcombustion, thereby also increasing the heat efficiency of the fuel.Subjecting the saturated steam passing into the chamber 16'to greatheat, thereby producing highly-heated dry or superheated steam, alsolargely increases the expansive qualities of the steam, resulting ingreat pressure: with a minimum amount of consumption of fuel.

As'stated, a series of fire pots and chambers inay be employed,preferably separated by the Walls 5, each fire-pot dischargingseparately into the receiver and, if desired, aiso recei'sing thecondensation separately from the receiver; so that in case ofaccidentfto any pot or fire-chamber it may be easily disconnected byclosing the valves between the fire-pet and the steam-drum and in thefeedwater pipe, the balance of the series of units of steam generationbeing permitted to continue theirsteam-generatingfunctions. Havingalseries of steam-generators also permits the steam generation to bedivided between the several steam-generating units. Thus predeterminedquantities of feed-Water may be admitted at predetermined periods toeach of the fire-pots, depending on the amount of steam consumption andcapacityof the plant. For conveniently permitting this we have provideda trip-shaft 28, having a series of trippers 29, each operatinga valve30 on the feed-water pipes communicating'with the respective pots. Thetrippers may each have a wedge-piece 31, adapted to strike aspringpressed arm 32 of the valve, the valve re maining open while thewedge-piece is in engagement with the arm, the duration of engagementand injection of feed-water increasing as the point of engagement ishigher up on the wedge. The number of revolutions of the shaftdetermines the number of times the levers are tripped, *and the leversof the successive fire-pots are preferably tripped in succession, sothat the feed from the pots to the receiver may be regular. Thus thetrippers may be adjust-ably secured to the shaft by set-screws 33, withthe successive wedges for the several units arranged progressively aboutthe axis of the trip-shaft for successively operating the severalvalves, as shown in Fig. 3. Means may also be provided for automaticallyregulating the amount of draft to the fire-chambers and the amount ofwater passing into the coils. Thus an ordinary diaphragm orspring-pressure regulator 35 may be suitably disposed and connected witha pipe 36 from the receiver, the regulator operating a valve 37 in thedraft-pipe 7, increasing the blast with a decrease of pressure anddecreasing the draft with increase of pressure in thereceiver.

For regulating the supply of feed-water a pressure-regulator 40,connected with the pipe 36, may be employed, the plunger-stem 41,connecting with a bell-crank:42, which in turn takes into a collar 43,mounted on the trip-shaft 28 for moving the trip-shaft endwise,increasing the supply of feed-water at a decrease of pressure in thereceiver and decreasing the supply of feed-water with increasingpressure in the receiver. If desired, separate regulators maybe employedfor each unit of steam generation, in which case the severaldraft-regulators are separately'connected to separate draft-pipes forthe several units and the several feed-water regulators connected Withseparate trip-shafts for the separate units of steam generation inmanner which will be readily understood; The steam may be taken from thereceiver by a pipe 45, communicating with the engine or other'utilizingpoint. A heat-retaining packing may cover the receiver. We claim l I. Ina steam-generator, the combination of a feed-pipe, means for heating thewater therein, a pot, a baffle-plate therein in the form of a conehaving an open base adjacent to the bottom of the pot, means for heatingsaid pot and a steam-receiver.

2. In a steam-generator, the

combination of a feed-pipe, means for heating the water therein, a pot abaffle-plate therein in the form of a cone having an open base adjacentto the bottom of the pot, means for heat-ing said pot, a steam-receiver,with a returnpipe from the receiver to the pot for condensation.

3. In a steam-generator, the combination of a heating-pot, having aclosed bottom, a

baffle-plate inside the pot near its bottom in.

the form of a cone having an open base, a feed-water pipe leading underthe bafiieplate, with a connection between the space under thebaffle-plate and the space above the baffle-plate in the pot.

4. In a steam-generator, the combination of a heating-pot, having aclosed bottom, a baffle-plate inside the pot near its bottom in the formof a cone having an open base, a feed water pipe leading under thebaffleplate, a connection between the space under the baffle-plate andthe space above the baffie-plate in the pot, a steam-receiver, and aconnection between the steam-receiver and pot, with a returncondensation-pipe between the receiver and pot.

5. In a steam-generator, the combination of a pot and a coil offeed-water piping arranged around the pot adjacent thereto, with the potand piping arranged to be subjected to the heat of the heating agency, abaflieplate in the pot, having the form of a cone with an open baseadjacent to the bottom of the pot, with the piping communicating intothe pot under the batfle-plate.

6. In a steam-generator, the combination of steam-generating units eachcomprising a pot having a closed bottom, a baffle-plate therein adjacentto the bottom, a feed-water pipe communicating with the interior of thepot under the baflie-plate, and a steam-receiver, with an inlet-pipe foreach unit communicating with the receiver, and a dis: charge-pipe forcondensation connecting the receiver and a unit with means for shutting,off each unit from the receiver while permitting the remaining units tocommunicate in steam generation with the receiver.

7. In a steam-generator, the combination of steam-generating units, eachcomprising a pot having a closed bottom, a baffie-plate therein adjacentto the bottom, a feed-water pipe communicating with the interior of thepot under the baffle-plate, and a separate fire-chamber for each, and asteam-receiver, with an inlet-pipe for each unit communicating with thereceiver, and means for shutting off each unit from the receiver whilepermit: ting the remaining units to communicate in steam generation withthe receiver.

8. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series of steam-generatingunits each comprising a fire-chamber and an upright pot and coil offeed-pipe for the pot adjacent to the pot located in the chamber, avalve for each feed-pipe, a trip for each valve, a common receiver forthe units and shifting means actuated by the pressure in the receiverfor regulating the tripping of the valves by the trips.

9. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series of steam-generatingunits, each comprising a fire-chamber, and a pot and feed-water pipingin the chamber, said feed- Water piping being in the chamber adjacent toand communicating with the pot, a valve for each feed-water pipe, a tripfor each valve, a common receiver for the units, and shifting meansactuated by the pressure in the receiver for regulating the tripping ofthe valves in the feed-Water pipes.

10. In a steamgenerator, the combination of a series of steam-generatingunits each comprising a fire-chamber and an upright pot and coil offeed-pipe for the pot adjacent to the pot located in the chamber, avalve for each feed-pipe, a trip for each valve, a common receiver forthe units, shifting means actuated by the pressure in the receiver, andshifting connection between said latter means and said trips.

11. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series ofsteam-generating units, each comprising a fire-chamber and a pot andfeed- Water piping in the chamber, said feed-water piping being in thechamber adjacent to and communicating with the pot, a valve for eachfeed-water pipe, a tripfor each valve, a common receiver for the units,shifting means actuated by the pressure in the receiver, said shiftingmeans and receiver having a steampassage between them, and shiftingconnection between said latter means and said trips.

12. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series ofsteam-generating units each comprising a fire-chamber and an upright potand coil of feed-pipe for the pot adjacent to the pot located in thechamber, a valve for each feed-pipe, a shaft havinga trip for eachvalve, a common receiver for the units, a

pressure-regulator actuated by the pressure in the receiver, and aconnection between the pressure-regulator and said. shaft.

13. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series ofsteam-generating units each comprising a fi re-chamber andsteam-generating pot and feed-pipe leading into the pot located in thechamber,-a valve for each feedpipe, a trip for each valve, a commonreceiver for the units, shifting means actuated by the pressure of thegenerated steam, said shifting means and the receiver having asteam-passage between them, and connection between said shifting meansand trips communicating movement of the shifting means to the trips.

14:. In a steam-generator, the combination of a series ofsteam-generating units each comprising a fire-chamber andsteam-generating pot and feed-pipe leading into the pot located in thechamber, a valve for each feed pipe, a shaft having a trip for eachnames hereto in the presence of two subscribing- Witnesses.

CLARENCE M. HOPWOOD.

JOHN G. MURDOOK, JR. \Vitnesses:

A. F. HERBSLEB, RAYMOND MOELLER.

valve, a common receiver for the units, a pressure-regulator actuated bythe pressure of the generated steam, said pressure-regulator and thereceiver having a steam-pas- 5 sage between them, and connection betweensaid pressure-regulator and shaft.

In testimony whereof we have signed our

